In a portable electronic device with camera, a radio wave detection circuit detects specific radio waves, and when the radio wave detection circuit detects the specific radio waves, a control circuit prohibits close-up photography by a camera.
|
13. A method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera, comprising:
detecting specific radio waves, and
prohibiting close-up photography by said camera when said specific radio waves including said predetermined code are detected.
1. A portable electronic device with camera, comprising:
a radio wave detection circuit that detects specific radio waves, and
a control circuit that prohibits close-up photography by said camera when said radio wave detection circuit detects said specific radio waves including a predetermined code.
5. A portable electronic device with camera, comprising:
a radio wave detection circuit that detects specific radio waves, and
a control circuit that prohibits close-up photography by said camera when said radio wave detection circuit detects said specific radio waves including a predetermined code,
wherein in the event that said portable electronic device is in a close-up photography mode for carrying out close-up photography by said camera, said control circuit prohibits the close-up photography, displays a message indicating prohibition of the close-up photography on a display unit, and ignores a depression of a photography button provided at said portable electronic device for prohibiting photography by said camera and said portable electronic device further comprising an operation unit including a switch corresponding to said photography button for operating said camera and said control circuit displays said photography button on said display unit, and when detecting a depression of said switch corresponding to said photography button while said photography button is displayed on said display unit, recognizes that said photography button is depressed.
2. The portable electronic device with camera according to
when said radio wave detection circuit detects said specific radio waves, in the event that said portable electronic device is in the close-up photography mode for carrying out close-up photography by said camera, said control circuit prohibits the close-up photography.
3. The portable electronic device with camera according to
when said, radio wave detection circuit detects said specific radio waves, in the event that said portable electronic device is in said close-up photography mode, said control circuit displays a message indicating prohibition of the close-up photography on said display unit.
4. The portable electronic device with camera according to
when said radio wave detection circuit detects said specific radio waves, in the event that said portable electronic device is in said close-up photography mode, said control circuit ignores a depression of a photography button provided at said portable electronic device for prohibiting photography by said camera.
6. The portable electronic device with camera according to
said radio wave detection circuit starts detecting of said specific radio waves from a point of time when the mode of said portable electronic device has changed to the photography mode for photographing by said camera,
when said specific radio waves are detected after switching from said photography mode to said close-up photography mode, said control circuit prohibits the close-up photography.
7. The portable electronic device with camera according to
said radio wave detection circuit detects said specific radio waves, said control circuit obtains the distance between said camera of said portable electronic device and an object, and when the distance is within a predetermined distance, prohibits the close-up photography.
8. The portable electronic device with camera according to
9. The portable electronic device with camera according to
when said distance between said camera and said object is within a predetermined distance, said control circuit displays a message indicating the prohibition of close-up photography on said display unit.
10. The portable electronic device with camera according to
said distance between said camera and said object is within a predetermined distance, said control circuit prohibits a depression of a photography button provided at said portable electronic device for photographing by said camera.
11. The portable electronic device with camera according to
said control circuit displays said photography button on said display unit, and when detecting a depression of said switch corresponding to said photography button while said photography button is displayed on said display unit, recognizes that said photography button is depressed.
12. The portable electronic device with camera according to
said radio wave detection circuit starts detecting of said specific radio waves from a point of time when the mode of said portable electronic device has changed to the photography mode for photographing by said camera.
14. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
when said specific radio waves are detected, in the event that said portable electronic device is in the close-up photography mode for carrying out close-up photography by said camera, prohibiting the close-up photography.
15. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
when said specific radio waves are detected, in the event that said portable electronic device is in said close-up photography mode, displaying a message indicating prohibition of the close-up photography.
16. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
when said specific radio waves are detected, in the event that said portable electronic device is in said close-up photography mode, ignoring a depression of a photography button provided at said portable electronic device for photographing by said camera.
17. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
starting detecting of said specific radio waves from a point of time when the mode of said portable electronic device has changed to the photography mode for photographing by said camera, and
when said specific radio waves are detected after switching from said photography mode to said close-up photography mode, prohibiting the close-up photography.
18. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
when said specific radio waves are detected, obtaining the distance between said camera of said portable electronic device and an object, and
when the distance is within a predetermined distance, prohibiting the close-up photography.
19. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
when said distance between said camera and said object is within a predetermined distance, displaying a message indicating the prohibition of close-up photography.
20. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
when said distance between said camera and said object is within a predetermined distance, prohibiting a depression of a photography button provided at said portable electronic device for photographing by said camera.
21. The method of preventing close-up photography by using a portable electronic device with camera according to
starting detecting of said specific radio waves from a point of time when the mode of said portable electronic device has changed to the photography mode for photographing by said camera.
|
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable electronic device and a method of preventing close-up photography by using the portable electronic device; in particular to a portable electronic device capable of prohibiting proximate photography in close distance to an object in a specific area and a method of preventing close-up photography by using the portable electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In these days, most portable electronic devices such as portable telephone are equipped with a camera. Hereinafter, the description will be made with reference to a portable telephone as an example of the portable electronic device. This portable telephone is provided with functions to store the images taken with a camera mounted on the portable telephone in the main body of the portable telephone, to attach the images to an e-mail to transmit them to other portable telephones and the like. The camera itself mounted on the portable telephone also is now increasingly being highly functionalized. For example, a close-up photography (macro-photography) function is available. In portable telephones, in case of executing proximate photography in close distance to an object in an ordinary photography mode, the image of the object is not brought in focus, resulting in blurred images. However, in the portable telephone, when the close-up photography function is used, even in the event of proximate photography in close distance to the object, the image of the object is brought in focus. Accordingly, the portable telephone is capable of carrying out close-up photography by using the close-up photography function. When the close-up photography function is used, the portable telephone is changed over from the ordinary photography mode to the close-up photography mode. In this case, the portable telephone performs the photography after the changing over to a lens dedicated for close-up photography.
However, with higher functionalization of the camera itself of the portable telephone with camera as described above, various problems arise. For example, there arises an action generally called as “digital shoplifting”. The “digital shoplifting” signifies an action, that paper surfaces of a book, magazine or the like, which are sold in a bookstore, convenience store or the like, are photographed without purchasing the book, magazine or the like. In such case, a person who takes the action as described above photographs using a close-up photography function of a portable telephone with camera and by setting the portable telephone to the close-up photography mode (macro-photography mode). Using the close-up photography mode, the portable telephone is capable of photographing the entire paper surface to a larger size. The “digital shoplifting” is becoming a large social problem. As a method of preventing such “digital shoplifting”, such a method that a space within the specific area is prevented from photography might be conceivable. Such conventional method is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-135838. According to the disclosed method, radio waves including a control signal are transmitted into a space in which the photography should be prohibited. And a portable telephone, which has received the control signal, changes its photography mode into the photography-prohibit mode to prohibit the photography.
In the above-mentioned conventional method, the arrangement is made such that the portable telephone, which has received the control signal, changes the photography mode to the photography-prohibit mode. Such being the case, in a space requiring the limit, for example, in the photography-prohibited area, the photography is totally prohibited. Thereby, the “digital shoplifting” can be prevented. On the other hand, the “digital shoplifting” is carried out by photographing by a portable telephone with camera set to the close-up photography mode. Therefore, to prevent the “digital shop lifting”, only the close-up photography mode has to be prohibited; but ordinary photography does not have to be prohibited. However, in the above conventional method, to prevent the “digital shopslifting”, the photography is totally prohibited in a photography-prohibited area. Therefore, the portable telephone can neither perform the close-up photography, nor ordinary photography in the photography-prohibited area.
An exemplary feature of the present invention is to prohibit close-up photography while enabling ordinary photography in a photography-prohibited area.
In view of the foregoing and other exemplary problems, drawbacks, and disadvantages,
An exemplary portable electronic device, equipped with a camera according to the present invention, includes a radio wave detection circuit that detects specific radio waves, and a control circuit that prohibits close-up photography by the camera, when the radio wave detection circuit detects the specific radio waves.
A method of preventing close-up photography by an exemplary portable electronic device having a camera of the present invention includes: detecting specific radio waves, and when detecting the specific radio waves, prohibiting the close-up photography by the camera.
As described above, the exemplary portable electronic device having a camera of the present invention detects specific radio waves, and when detecting the specific radio waves, prohibits the close-up photography by the camera. Thus, when the exemplary portable electronic device of the present invention is in a bookstore emitting photography prohibition radio waves, the portable electronic device prohibits the close-up photography by receiving the photography prohibition radio waves. However, although the portable electronic device prohibits the close-up photography by receiving the photography prohibition radio waves, but does not prohibit the photography such as ordinary photography or the like other than the close-up photography. Thereby, while allowing the photography other than the close-up photography in a photography-prohibited area such as bookstores emitting the photography prohibition radio waves, “digital shoplifting” can be prevented.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings in which:
Now, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A portable telephone with camera 1 of the first exemplary embodiment has a basic structure including an antenna unit 2, a transmission/reception circuit 3, a control circuit 5, a memory 6, a display unit 11, an operation unit 12 and the like. And further, the portable telephone with camera 1 is provided with a photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4, a camera control circuit 7, a camera unit 8, a close-up photography lens 9, and an ordinary photography lens 10.
The antenna unit 2 transmits and receives radio waves between a base station and the same. The transmission/reception circuit 3 modulates transmission data from the control circuit 5 and sends the data to the antenna unit 2, and receives received data from the antenna unit 2 and demodulates the received data.
The photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 includes a receiving antenna and a detection circuit, and detects photography prohibition radio waves, or receives photography prohibition radio waves, and from the received radio waves, detects a predetermined code.
While the photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 is detecting the photography prohibition radio waves, the control circuit 5 causes the camera unit 8 not to perform close-up photography. Or, while the photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 is detecting the predetermined code, the control circuit 5 prohibits the camera unit 8 to perform close-up photography and ordinary photography depending on the content of the code. Further, the control circuit 5 controls the communication by a telephone function, transmission/reception of e-mail and display. Further, the control circuit 5 controls the portable telephone with camera 1 itself based on the instruction from the operation unit 12 and program stored in the memory 6.
The memory 6 stores programs for controlling the operation of the portable telephone with camera 1 and data for personal use of the owner etc of the portable telephone with camera 1. Also, the memory 6 is used as a work area by the control circuit 5.
The camera control circuit 7 instructs the operation of the camera. The camera unit 8 performs camera function in accordance with the instruction by the camera control circuit 7. The close-up photography lens 9 is a lens used for carrying out close-up photography. The focal length of the close-up photography lens 9 is, for example, within a range of approximately 5 cm to 25 cm. It is appropriately determined what value of the lens should be used depending on the type of the portable telephone 1. The ordinary photography lens 10 is a lens used when performing ordinary photography.
The display unit 11 is an LCD or the like for displaying images of an object taken by the camera through the lens, menu showing operation items etc, various kinds of data and the like.
The operation unit 12 is equipped with various kinds of keys for operating the portable telephone with camera 1. Based on the depression of these keys, the control circuit 5 performs input of telephone number, selection of item displayed on the display unit 11 and determination of display.
Next, the operation of the portable telephone with camera of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to
In step S21 of
In step S22 of
In this case, a screen shown in
On the other hand, when the close-up photography is desired, the user starts up the photography mode as described above, and changes over the mode of the portable telephone with camera 1 into the close-up photography mode as described bellow. “CLOSE UP” in the menu screen displayed in
When the close-up photography mode select button is depressed during the close-up photography mode, the portable telephone 1 is set to the ordinary photography mode.
Further, to terminate the photography by the camera, the user depresses the “CAMERA CLOSE” (camera terminate button) indicated in the menu screen shown in
In step S23 of
In this case, for example, when the photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 detects the photography prohibition radio wave, and predetermined code from the detected photography prohibition radio waves, the following procedures may be executed. That is, when the predetermined code indicates, for example, a character “A”, the control circuit 5 determines that the portable telephone 1 is in the photography-prohibited area 14. And in order to prohibit all photography including the ordinary photography, the control circuit 5 displays a warning sentence indicating the prohibition of all photography superimposed on the screen shown in
In step S24 of
In step S25 of
In step S26 of
In step S27 of
As described above, the portable telephone with camera 1 performs the switching between the photography mode and the close-up photography mode based on the depression of the close-up photography mode select button in the menu screen shown in
As described above, according to the first embodiment, when the close-up photography mode is selected in the photography-prohibited area 14, the warning sentence, which notifies that the close-up photography is not available, is displayed. And the depression of the photography button is ignored. Thus, not only in the case where the user sets the portable telephone with camera 1 to the close-up photography mode in the bookstore, needless to say, but also even when the user enters the bookstore after intentionally setting the mode to the close-up photography mode outside the bookstore, the close-up photography is prohibited.
Next, a second exemplary embodiment of the portable electronic device with camera according to the present invention will be described.
In
A portable telephone with camera 18 of this embodiment has a basic structure including an antenna unit 2, a transmission/reception circuit 3, a control circuit 19, a memory 6, a display unit 11, an operation unit 12 and the like. Further, the portable telephone with camera 18 is provided with a photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4, a camera control circuit 21, a camera unit 22, a close-up photography lens 24, an ordinary photography lens 23, and a distance measuring sensor 20.
The components different from those in
The distance measuring sensor 20 measures the distance between the camera unit 22 and an object.
The ordinary photography lens 23 and the close-up photography lens 24 are identical in function to those in
In the first embodiment, when photographing by the camera, the control circuit 5 outputs the mode indicated by the current mode information and photography instruction to the camera control circuit 7. However, when photographing by the camera, the control circuit 19 in this embodiment outputs only the photography instruction to the camera control circuit 21. Accordingly, by receiving the photography instruction, the camera control circuit 21 in this embodiment causes the camera unit 22 to photograph the object. Thus, the camera unit 22 photographs the object.
In this embodiment, when photographing by the camera unit 22, the distance measuring sensor 20 measures the distance between the camera and an object. When the distance is within a predetermined specific distance, this photography is considered to be close-up photography. And, when the photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 detects the photography prohibition radio waves, the control circuit 19 prohibits the close-up photography.
Therefore, while the photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 is detecting the photography prohibition radio waves, to carry out the close-up photography, when the user brings the camera close within the predetermined specific distance with respect to the object, the control circuit 19 prohibits the close-up photography. Accordingly, the close-up photography cannot be carried out.
Next, the operation of the portable telephone with camera according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to
In step S91 of
In step S92 of
Thereby, the portable telephone with camera 18 takes the photography mode, and the photography by the camera becomes available.
In this case, a screen shown in
When desiring the close-up photography, the user attaches the close-up photography lens 24 to the ordinary photography lens 23. The close-up photography lens 24 can be attached at arbitrary timing.
To terminate the photography by the camera, the user depresses “CAMERA CLOSE” (camera terminate button) displayed in the menu screen shown in
In the step S93 in
Here, the following arrangement may be adopted. That is, for example, when the photography prohibition radio wave detection circuit 4 detects the photography prohibition radio waves and a predetermined code is detected from the detected photography prohibition radio waves. That is, when the predetermined code indicates, for example, a character “B”, the control circuit 19 determines that the portable telephone 18 is in the photography-prohibited area 14. And in order to prohibit the close-up photography only, the process proceeds to step S94. Also, when the predetermined code indicates, for example, a character “A”, the control circuit 19 determines that the portable telephone 18 is in the photography-prohibited area 14. And in order to prohibit all photography including the ordinary photography, the control circuit 19 causes the display unit 11 to display a warning sentence, which indicates that all photography is prohibited, superimposed on the screen shown in
In step S94 of
In step S95 of
In step S96 of
In step S97 of
In step S98 of
As described above, according to the second embodiment, when the distance between the camera and the object 25 is within the specific distance in the photography-prohibited area 14, the warning sentence, which notifies that the close-up photography is not available, is displayed. And further, the depression of the photography button is ignored. As a result, the user cannot carry out the photography by the portable telephone with camera 18 in close distance to the object 25 in the bookstore; thus, the close-up photography can be prohibited.
As described above, according to the present invention, when the mode is the close-up photography mode in the photography-prohibited area 14, the warning sentence, which notifies that the close-up photography is not available, is displayed, and the depression of the photography button is ignored. Also, when the distance between the camera and the object 25 is within the specific distance in the photography-prohibited area 14, the warning sentence notifying that the close-up photography is not available is displayed, and the depression of the photography button is ignored. Thereby, even when the photography prohibition radio waves are emitted in the bookstore, if the camera is not in the close-up photography mode, or the distance between the camera and the object 25 is not within the specific distance, the photography is possible. Thereby, the “digital shoplifting” can be prevented while allowing the photography other than the close-up photography in the photography-prohibited area 14.
While the present invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the subject matter encompassed by the present invention is not limited to those specific embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to include all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
Additionally, it is the inventor's intent to retain all equivalents of the claimed invention even if the claims are amended during prosecution.
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
11153472, | Oct 17 2005 | Cutting Edge Vision, LLC | Automatic upload of pictures from a camera |
11818458, | Oct 17 2005 | Cutting Edge Vision, LLC | Camera touchpad |
Patent | Priority | Assignee | Title |
20020036836, | |||
20020039479, | |||
20020106202, | |||
20040046871, | |||
20050093980, | |||
JP2002135838, |
Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Jun 13 2005 | NAKAYA, KIMIHIKO | NEC Corporation | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 016726 | /0064 | |
Jun 22 2005 | NEC Corporation | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
Date | Maintenance Fee Events |
Oct 15 2012 | REM: Maintenance Fee Reminder Mailed. |
Mar 03 2013 | EXP: Patent Expired for Failure to Pay Maintenance Fees. |
Date | Maintenance Schedule |
Mar 03 2012 | 4 years fee payment window open |
Sep 03 2012 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Mar 03 2013 | patent expiry (for year 4) |
Mar 03 2015 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 4) |
Mar 03 2016 | 8 years fee payment window open |
Sep 03 2016 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Mar 03 2017 | patent expiry (for year 8) |
Mar 03 2019 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 8) |
Mar 03 2020 | 12 years fee payment window open |
Sep 03 2020 | 6 months grace period start (w surcharge) |
Mar 03 2021 | patent expiry (for year 12) |
Mar 03 2023 | 2 years to revive unintentionally abandoned end. (for year 12) |